Introduction
I had put myself through college by working as a cocktail server in three busy music joints from the time I was 21. The job often entailed being crouched down to catch someone's drink order, which was hollered into one ear while the jazz trumpet or guitar blared into the other.
Despite the cacophony, I rarely wore earplugs, unless the band was exceptionally loud or I didn't like the music-an unfortunate compromise that wasn't good for my ear health. Although the earplugs composed of foam material provided at venues worked, they often made hearing customers and coworkers tough and distorted music.
My negative attitude about wearing earplugs was only a smaller piece in a greater discussion on the concerns public health specialists have identified: nuisance noise-induced hearing issues among younger populations who are repetitively subjected to loud environments. If I had valued my hearing health as much as my overall wellness, I would have purchased an effective, reusable pair of earplugs that accommodated both my work and social life.
The Balance Between Protection and Experience
Is there a way to protect the hearing of tomorrow without sacrificing what you are enjoying today? Perhaps you can reduce noise in a non-intrusive and convenient way. A brand that believes this is Loop.
It's not striking for its design alone; the colors are fun and the particular "loop" hook put onto each earplug makes them actually look like a piece of jewelry. Loop has definitely managed to brand itself as fashionable within the realm of reusable earplugs.
While most companies sell their earplugs with better noise reduction numbers, the Loop managed to sell with versatility and free aesthetic allure.
To find out if the Loop lives beyond its hype, I put it to the test across three core earplug categories: Quiet, Engage, and Experience. Here's how it stacked up.
What are Loop Earplugs?
Loop is a brand new founded since the end of 2016, with some concerns about nightlife and the dramatic exposure to tinnitus. Loop sets itself apart from other earplug companies with a rich diversity of colors and unique designs.
To this end, you will get earplug models within the Quiet, Engage, Experience, and Switch modes that can toggle across different modes. Besides all these, of course, Loop also offers Plus versions in both Engage and Experience series earplugs, also providing an additional 5 dB of noise reduction (SNR). By buying a mute accessory, you can make any pair of Loop earplugs into a Plus pair.
I tested using three of the following types:
• Engage: Offers up to 16 dB noise reduction or 10 dB NRR. These earplugs are designed for environments where you want to block out some background noise but still engage in conversation. They are priced at AED 128.
• Experience: Provides up to 18 dB SNR or 7 dB NRR. These are ideal for concerts, festivals, or other loud environments where you want to hear the music, just at a reduced volume. They are priced at AED 128.
• Quiet: Delivers up to 26 dB SNR or 14 dB NRR. These earplugs are designed for sleeping, maximum comfort, and significant noise reduction. They are the most affordable, priced at AED 92.
How to Wear Ardent Loop Earplugs
The other is that your Loop earplugs come with medium-sized tips fitted already, and in the package is nothing but three tips of other sizes for the perfect fit. It also has a QR code to connect to instructions on how they work.
These were the instructions that I missed after trying on the earplugs without adjusting the tips to fit me. For the Quiet plugs, this became really hectic since they have a rubbery base.
The right-sized tip must be large enough to go in your ear canal nicely without causing any kind of hassle. This should also be tight enough, because the earplug that is too small might just go too deep in the ear canal or feel loose. The loop should be angled the other way—backward—so that it does not stick out awkwardly.
The best thing about it, in addition to their comfort, is that each Loop earplug has a teeny-weeny, twirling carrying case, which can snugly be placed in one's pocket or bag without appearing untidy. This is a huge improvement over my previous pairs of foam earplugs, which would always accumulate debris and bacteria from sitting anywhere.
How We Tested Loop Earplugs
Put to the test during several days past across various activities that involved a grocery store, a crowded café, a subway, a live music show, a class at the gym, and at home. I tested the Experience and Engage earplugs side by side, as these two are pretty close together in the numbers game with respect to their noise-reduction ratings and, on paper, use cases.
When attempting to judge the overall performance of the Loop earplug, I took a few factors into recognition:
• Fit: How securely the earplugs stayed in place, especially during exercise or movement.
• Comfort: How comfortable the earplugs were to wear for extended periods.
• Noise-reduction rating: The effectiveness of the earplugs in protecting against loud noises.
• Sound quality and purpose: How well the earplugs met the expectations set by Loop, particularly in terms of sound quality and specific use cases.
• Style options: The visual appeal of the earplugs and the variety of color and style options available.
Durability: As reusable earplugs, Loop claims they can last up to five years.
Looped Engage
I'm skeptical of earplugs by their nature, and initially I didn't think much of Engage's earplugs—since, aside from people's conversations while I'm trying to concentrate, the most annoying sounds probably are already pre-empted, by my Sony noise-canceling headphones or binaural beats.
But I was indeed pleasantly surprised when I popped in the earplugs while writing in a noisy cafe. The background noise was smoothed out, so it stopped being annoying yet remained present.I could still hear the conversations, but they were muffled so much that I could not define the particulars.
I also wore the Engage ear plugs to the grocery store, which made even that experience more enjoyable. For someone who often finds shopping overwhelming, these ear plugs were able to partially lift the sensory overload away and in some miraculous way even allowed me to clearly communicate with the cashier during checkout.
The best thing about Engage earplugs, though, is that all that noise is filtered away while it doesn't totally make you alone in the world. For example, one's voice, or other internal sounds, aren't nearly as forward as through other earplugs, including other Loop models. This is a one-to-one trade-off. Engage earplugs: These will reduce the noise by 16 dB SNR/10 dB NRR, and the Quiet model or other earplugs present on the market is more.
Loop Experience
Of all these, the Experience earplugs are what I relished most wearing, because my urge was to feel the music at its best while reducing the noise. I used this bunch of earplugs for my feeble attempt at a blues show, and to my eye-opener, I hardly noticed them in my ears. In other words, the music was still very loud and clear; it let me enjoy the performance thoroughly. I can now make good use of these earplugs for future concerts.
Outside the realm of live music, I found myself using the Experience earplugs a lot more than I thought I would. So, they filter low-end frequencies to make the subways and trains more tolerable. Although they don't block nearly as much noise as some other earplugs being pitched toward music lovers, the Experience earplugs really do have a nice balance between sound quality and noise reduction. In addition, I tested the Experience earplugs with a high-intensity workout class.
These, along with the Engage, go into the ear canal, which means wearing them is likely going to stay put even with sweat and movement. One of the disadvantages of the Experience earplugs is that they duplicate inside sounds release as one is chewing or even breathing, making other people feel awkward in their ears. Moreover, excellent as they are for live music, the user may regard wearing them into the equation of holding a sustained conversation in such a volume of loud noise, given how loudly most people chose to play the music, I ended up having trouble hearing anybody talk coming out of the clubs and stadiums.
Loop Quiet
The Loop Quiet earplugs have been designed to offer the maximum level of noise reduction, making them perfect for sleeping or deep focus. Unlike the Experience and Engage models, the Quiet earplugs contain few soft loops that protrude out of your ear canal, hence providing more comfort even when worn for an extended period.
The Quiet earplugs perform about as well at blocking out the noise; they simply don't focus on still being able to provide quality hearing or situational awareness like the other two models do. For instance, while they did tone down the sounds going on around me while at work, the difference wasn't that vast that I felt the desire to use them versus the Experience or Engage models.
For loud, repetitive noises, though, such as grinding coffee beans, the Quiet earplugs were the standout performer. They are also the cheapest among the plugs, so suitable for protecting the ears in cases such as while using at bedtime or in similar quiet conditions.
Conclusion
Loop earplugs are both stylish and the best at touching problems related to noise sensitivity but are not built for heavyweight hearing protection. To the extent that such earplugs muffle sound to a safe range, they will certainly not be enough to condense it for individuals subject to very loud surroundings on a daily basis, such as construction sites or during live performance events. Operatives would ideally need traditional foam-type earplugs or custom-made earplugs for these purposes.
Protection lies in a balance between enjoyment and health-care possibilities. Loop earplugs managing to fill this gap provide great-looking, soft, and comfortable options anytime one wants to reduce noise without cutting off one's surroundings.
FAQs
1. What unique selling points do Loop earplugs have?
Their loop earplugs differ from all the other brands—a perfect combination of functionality and aestheticism. Quite unconventional for the majority of already existing earplugs that are more inclined toward noise reduction, the Loop earplugs acquire such a progressive effort as to almost seem like jewelry put to a utilitarian purpose.
Made in very many colors, they serve individual preferences and correspond personal style. Loop offers also dedicated earplugs to needs as for sleeping, working, and being at live events to fit individual customized use in different environments. This heady mix of design, versatility, and purpose-specific features is what makes Loop Ear Plugs stand a notch above the rest.
2. Can I wear Loop earplugs at a live event or concert?
Yes, Loop earplugs are perfect for concerts and live music events. In fact, Loop Experience is the best option engineered for lowering sound levels while still providing you with the best quality of music for you not to compromise your ears' wellbeing.
Because they bring down the decibel levels to a safe range, you still get to feel the energy of the live music. Their comfortable fit ensures that they stay in place throughout the event, and so obviously become very popular with people who go to a lot of concerts and want to protect their ears without losing any of the experience.
3. Can Loop earplugs be used to sleep?
Loop Quiet earplugs are extremely effective when it comes to sleeping, providing full protection from any loud noises to make your night's sleep serene. Made from soft comfortable materials, it fits securely in the ear cavity for a peaceful night without any irritation.
The unique nose design not only provides a unique look but also helps in removing the earplug with ease in the morning. Say no more to a noisy environment or the disturbance to your peace of mind by Loop Quiet earplugs, balancing charming comfort and reductions in sound to wake up refreshed.
4. What is the life expectancy of Loop earplugs?
These earplugs are designed to be long-lasting and can last up to five years with good care. How long they last depends on maintenance and frequency of use. Made from excellent materials, which can be used over and over again, the earplugs last quite long regardless of regular abrasions.
Cleaning should ensure their long life, after which they should be stored in a protective case that further helps in ensuring hygiene and maintenance of effectiveness. Trying out a set of Loop earplugs gives one a long time of using the same, because they are environmentally friendly and a great way to avoid throw-way earplugs.
5. Do Loop earplugs work in the case of noisy work environments?
Engage Loop Earplugs work in very noisy work environments with the proper balance of sound reduction, where one would with ease hold conversations.
Designed with open ears in mind, plugs reduce background noise to an appropriate level but still allow important sounds, like voices, to come through clearly. This makes them perfect for an environment in a workplace, café, or other environments where there is a high noise level but requires communication.
The fit is comfortable and guarantees that the ear defenders can be donned for long durations without causing discomfort. This means that the actual solution to maintain focus in busy settings is entirely viable.
